Al Gibson offers encouragement to anyone seeking their life purpose in these challenging times – based on personal experience of overcoming obstacles.
We are here on earth to discover our life purpose. This is something that became clear to many of us during the pandemic when we had so much time to reflect. It was such a puzzling time for so many and there are still many unanswered questions…
Sometimes life may seem like a giant jigsaw puzzle. We get to place one piece of the puzzle at a time and yet we have no idea how the shapes fit together or what the final picture will look like. However, I’ve seen time and time again that it is God who knows where all the pieces fit together. We just need to trust Him in the knowledge that He causes all things to work together for our good.
My future came to an unexpected halt when I was given the opportunity to leave my job in February 2020. I saw it as an opportunity to start a new business. However, unfortunately, Covid-19 hit at around the same time, with the start of lockdown just a few weeks later. Not the best time to make such big changes… Yet if we don’t take risks in life we will never achieve all that God has for us. He loves to stretch us and challenge us to find a greater life purpose than we could possibly imagine!
So there I was trying to start a new business at the start of a pandemic. Trying to keep afloat despite all the doom and gloom. How difficult it was for us all when everything shut down and things that would usually happen quickly started to take forever. And of course, so many people died. I cannot recall the pandemic without considering the immense loss of life and the pain many families had to deal with.
When one is faced with the reality of death on such a large scale, it’s only natural that one considers the purpose of life and amount of time you may have left to complete your life purpose. I think it’s important to ensure that we make every minute count. And, that we consider where we will spend eternity. That of course is the ultimate big picture in the jigsaw puzzle of our life.
Thankfully I remained healthy throughout however, Lockdown did take its toll on me like everyone else. We all experienced frustration, sadness and some degree of depression. And of course, much soul-searching for that seemingly elusive life purpose.
Let God help you find your life purpose
Getting back to this puzzling season, and the emerging picture of my immediate future, in one sense the restrictions made it easier to focus on my new business without distraction and yet the months seemed to drag on with very little progress. Yet, when I look back now, I see how God was leading me to lay pieces of the puzzle bit by bit. At times I had no idea where the pieces would fit together, while at other times it seemed as if I was constantly working on the sky.
We all know how hard the sky pieces of a puzzle can be to fit together when they are all the same colour. Yet looking back now I see God knew where all the pieces fitted together and now years later I see a fuller picture. This is exciting.
Now I know I am on the right track. It seems everything I did during Lockdown laid the foundation for God to deliver on His promise to provide for me and my family. So, I encourage you in your quest for your life purpose. Trust God and He will give you the wisdom and direction you need.
I am reminded of that Bible verse. “Do not weary in doing good, for you will reap a harvest if you faint not.” It’s easy to get frustrated and give up on a puzzle. “Throw all your toys out of the cot” is another way of putting it, that could be appropriate here. You most probably have heard many messages about the need to press on and never quit. However, it’s hard especially when you don’t see any visible progress.
But now I see a fuller picture emerging. I can see how individual pieces contribute to the overall scheme of things. How the facets are fitting together. How all the seeds I have sown are starting to germinate and there is the promise of a harvest on the horizon.
I have heard people say, “If you can start a business during a crisis you can succeed at anything”. Others have said that “now is the time to seize the moment” and run with the vision God has given you. I completely get this now. It has been a tough start but I can see God’s hand on everything. Trust Him in what you are believing for. Ask Him to show you how the pieces fit together. And see His picture for your life unveiled in due course. Let him help you discover your life purpose.
Also read: 7 Ps to ensure happiness
Al Gibson
Wordsmith, overcomer and exhorter. Al has a degree in Journalism and Media Studies and years of communications experience in Africa, the UK, Israel and USA. He left South Africa in 2001 and worked for GOD TV in England for 18 years. He now heads up Countdown Creative, a content creation business in Exeter. Al is the author of three biographies. Blogs he writes for include GODTV.com; International Christian and UK and US Christian.
